Review: Rolex New Submariner “No Date” 124060
A showdown with my Seamaster 300M Diver from 14 year ago
On a sunny day early February, I went to a local mega mall to pick up my new prescription eyeglasses. I passed by a new Rolex boutique that re-opened not long ago after a renovation. It used to be a jewelry store and multi-brand AD for Rolex, Breitling and some other brands. I had been to the old store a few times but had not bought anything, as there were no popular Rolex models available, pretty much like Rolex ADs everywhere. I could not help wanting to check out the new boutique so I stepped into the Covid capacity control line outside the door. I waited for about 5 minutes before some customers came out and I was invited to go in. After some small talk, the gentleman helping me asked “so what are you looking for?” I didn’t plan to ask for any model, as I knew the answer. Now he had asked, I just replied casually “GMT Master II?” “I don’t have a GMT Master II, but there is a Submariner here”. “The new Submariner?” “Yes, we only carry the latest models”. He then took me to a showcase nearby where there was a brand new Submariner “no date” 124060 on display. I could not believe my eyes staring at the shining object. “Today is your lucky day”, he smiled. This is a true story and the full name of the store is “J. Licht and Sons Rolex Boutique”. It was indeed my super lucky day!!
This is the first stainless steel sports model for me from the almighty Rolex. As a watch enthusiast, I have read so much about this iconic and highly sought-after tool watch. The 124060 is a new model that was just released a few months ago in September 2020. I still remember the Rolex teaser ad on Instagram ahead of the launch. A lot has been written about this highly anticipated update of the entire Submariner line by now, there are few disagreements that the launch can be summed up in a nutshell: the changes in the design and the size of the watch are quite small and the only big change is the new caliber with 70 hours power reserve.
Many review articles and video commentaries compared in great details the difference between model 124060 and the previous Submariner models such as the 114060. As this is my first Submariner, I don’t have any insights or findings of my own to share. However, I have owned an Omega Seamaster Diver 300M since 2007, which was my daily watch for a number of years. It was a birthday gift from my parents and I wrote a review of this watch in my newsletter. Why not do a comparison of the Seamaster with the new Submariner? It is much easier to write something I’m familiar with and a “showdown” between two of the best divers ever made will shed lights on how the new Submariner has advanced the state of the art with this iteration.
Just for fun, the head to head comparison includes not just the technical aspects, but marketing strategies and value retentions. It is not a fair comparison by design, but surprisingly, the 14-year-old Seamaster almost holds its own. The competition between the two product lines over the last 70 years symbolizes the race between the two top notch Swiss brands in the watch world. It is astonishing to see how similar to each other between the two models in terms of functionalities, aesthetics, dimensions and materials. Two powerhouses with strong R&D firepower pursing the best divers ended up with product offerings that converged on key decisions in engineering and design. No wonder both watches have won the hearts and minds of countless explorers, photographers, watch lovers and general consumers.
With the latest release that upgraded all models in the Submariner collection, Rolex has solidified its lead in this tight race and underwater showdown. The Submariner definitely can claim the upper hand in terms of value retention and scarcity. The hot selling Seamaster propelled by its ingenious James Bond tie-in may be proud of its great price performance ratio, with appreciation from the watch loving public.
These are the best divers ever and one cannot go wrong with either of them. As for myself, I just feel extremely lucky to be able to put on the wrist the two fantastic divers separated by 14 years. Any day I can do that is my lucky day!
Additional references:
Official product page & watchcase page
A review by ABTW
A review by Hodinkee
A review by Monochrome
A review by The Watch Lounge
A video review by Crown & Caliber
History of Submariner by Bijou Diamond Jewellery
Understanding The Rolex Submariner by Hodinkee